Fiji declares national HIV emergency amid surge in infections

Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency, citing a severe surge in infections driven by methamphetamine use and unsafe injecting practices. The announcement was made by Health Minister Dr. Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu on September 15, 2026, following a cabinet decision on September 9. The declaration escalates the country's response to an outbreak first identified in January 2025. The scale of the crisis is significant. UNAIDS estimates that one in 60 adults in Fiji is now living with HIV, a sharp increase from one in 167 five years ago. In 2025, the country recorded 2,060 new HIV diagnoses, with young adults aged 20 to 34 accounting for nearly 67 percent of cases. Among new infections with a known transmission route, over half were linked to sexual transmission and more than 42 percent to injecting drug use. The epidemic has also affected the most vulnerable. Fiji reported 117 HIV-related deaths in 2025, including 17 children under 15. A two-month-old baby became the youngest identified patient living with both HIV and tuberculosis. Among pregnant women attending antenatal care, HIV prevalence has reached about 2 percent, or one in 50. Treatment and awareness gaps are critical.